Pair of Auditorium Armchairs in Bentwood, Cimo, 1950s - Lot 140

Description

Cimo, Brazil, c. 1950s. These auditorium armchairs distill a utilitarian program into a disciplined exercise of bentwood craft. Each seat is resolved as a continuous laminated shell — a sculpted back and seat that reads as a single, flowing plane — with integrated uprights and arm caps that emphasize structural clarity and economy of means. A slender, hinged work surface folds from the arm, the modest writing tablet made to disappear when not in use; beneath the seat, a low shelf provides practical storage, reinforcing the chairs’ institutional logic.

Crafted in steam-bent laminated wood, the chairs exhibit the virtues of material integrity: the wood’s figure and grain remain the primary expressive device, and the professional refinish has been executed to a warm, satin-matte field that privileges natural color and vein without gloss. Joinery is straightforward and honest, the construction celebrating continuous bending and efficient detail rather than applied ornament.

Function is inseparable from form: conceived for lecture and assembly spaces, the folding tablet and enveloping shell provide purposeful support for prolonged use — comfort expressed as considered engineering of posture and utility. Condition: in excellent vintage condition. The frames have been sympathetically refinished; age-appropriate marks are present at feet and exposed edges, confined and consistent with careful stewardship. Restoration has been conservative and transparent.